Now that I’m back at PFT headquarters and catching up on the stuff I missed while driving 600 miles and stopping for a couple of meals (Florio Jr. strongly objected to waiting 35 minutes for a table at Cracker Barrel), it looks like the players opted — through their lawyers — to make a power play on Saturday, something that the owners had feared.

As ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported earlier today, the players want $320 million in benefits that weren’t paid during the uncapped year, as well as a one-year limit on the use of the franchise tag. Also, if the “lockout insurance” case must be settled separately and apart from the financial package negotiated by the league and the players, it’s possible that another nine-figure sum could be demanded. And to the extent that the Brady antitrust lawsuit needs to be resolved via something more than the contents of a new CBA, the players still could demand even more money and/or special treatment for the named plaintiffs, such as an agreement never to use the franchise tag on any of them.

With a deal now regarded by the media and fans and players and pretty much everyone else as a foregone conclusion, the NFLPA* has by all appearances opted to go for one last home run, possibly buoyed by the league’s decision to cave on the “right of first refusal” concept and the league’s significant concession on the rookie wage scale.

In theory, if the league calls the players’ bluff — and if it ends up not being a bluff — the whole thing could still blow up.

Given the dramatic progress that has been made on far thornier and challenging issues, we can’t imagine the talks crumbling now. Instead, the players likely decided to roll the dice in the hopes of making the deal a little (or, as the case may be, a lot) sweeter, and if the parties can’t work out these remaining issues on their own, then U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan will go Alton Benes on anyone and everyone in the room.

Sure, there’s a chance that the NFLPA* lawyers are hoping that cooler heads won’t prevail, but the failure to wrap this thing up now would create a significant backlash for everyone involved. Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith are in the home stretch of the ultimate three-legged race, and they’re smart enough to figure out what it takes to get to the finish line.

Are you kidding me????? I really gotten to hate these players. They don’t deserve any more money. They sign a contract for many millions. Why should the owners give them any of their profits??? That’s why they are owners. I can’t ask the owner of my company for a portion of his profits, I’d be fired.

This proves how much these players like their fans, the ones that ultimately pay their paycheck! Way to ruin the “progress” that we have had.

Fire ALL of them. Get rid of the union. If they want to play out of this union, let them try out, if they don’t, let’s see how quickly they go broke. No one is forcing them to play. Hell, let any warm blooded American that wants to try out, let em. I’ll play for just $2,500 a game! That would match my current yearly income!

bittersonicsfan says:Jul 17, 2011 12:43 AM

Power play? Sounds more like a dick move.

skoobyfl says:Jul 17, 2011 12:44 AM

The guys that break news early are useless because it’s all simply sensational journalism until the story is written. I’m seriously considering stepping away from all the headlines sports news because it means nearly nothing until inked.

Next thing Rupert M. will be hacking Goodell’s phone to try & write tomorrow’s early headlone.

What!? 9 billion and expected to grow to 18-20 billion over the next 10 years and the players are going to blow this over 320 million? 320 divided by how many players = what $ per player? Unbelievable!

nonstory says:Jul 17, 2011 12:49 AM

Sadly , this does not come as a surprise. Both sides of this dispute can suck it.

I’ve been supportive of the players view in this process, so here is my advice to them: Don’t overplay your hand! Owners are not going to agree to a one-year limit on the use of the franchise tag. Accept this deal, nail this down and play football!!!

Eh…I was pretty pro-owner in this case and I don’t see this as a true “power play”. The owners were always going to have to give something to settle the lockout insurance case……they’re going to end up paying in the form of insurance benefits and the lockout case goes away. They’ve already lost that one……now if they want 800 million for that and another 350 for insurance, there will be trouble.

The franchise tag thing doesn’t seem too out of order. It was pretty much happening this way lately anyway. If I were the owners I’d settle for the one year thing, but include a clause that the franchise player has to participate fully in camp and the season for it to only be a one year deal…….in other words, no walking in a week before the season (or six games in). If not make it two years (which would be meeting in the middle from the three it is now).

damn. stop teasin me, this is worse than the stripper in the “vip” hosin me for 100s. THOUGHT SHE LIKED ME.

longislandcowboysfan says:Jul 17, 2011 1:20 AM

You’ve got to be kidding me.

CKL says:Jul 17, 2011 1:21 AM

Special treatment for the named plaintiffs sounds unreasonable to me. How were they more harmed in any way than any other player in their situations?

I was in favor of the owners dropping the right of first refusal. I have LONG been in favor of eliminating most of the tags and making the FT a one time deal per team for the same player. I have 0 issue with FA being 4 years either. It’s not fair for a team to keep tying up a guy one year at a time by making it extra prohibitive for other teams to negotiate with him. If you want him, pay him. If you aren’t willing to pay him, let him go somewhere that will. FT should be used in the spirit it was intended: to allow a team a year to negotiate a long term deal. Players don’t get to choose their initial employer and can’t play at a high level for a very long time. Let them pick their team and/or have a chance to get the most money they can.

I can’t see why the players should get their workout bonuses etc., especially for guys who signed deals AFTER the owners opted out. If their agents weren’t savvy enough to protect them by negotiating different types of bonuses, shame on the agents. After all we’ve heard the battle cry of “They’ve (both sides) been planning this (lockout/decert.)for over 2 years”.

Also, if having no problem waiting 35 min for a table @ CB makes is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. I already knew I was a redneck, Flo Jr.

brownsfn says:Jul 17, 2011 1:23 AM

I am so sick of these players and their “union”…this is just getting ridiculous…I hope the owners hold their ground on this and call their bluff…hold your ground owners…don’t give in to these idiots…

db105 says:Jul 17, 2011 1:24 AM

Take your time guys! We want you to cancel the overpriced preseason games.

How much money do these players want? Whos money hungry sounds like the players to me. Im kind of throwing in the towel this year i dont see football this season except college. Rich Eisen should be happy more vacation time!!!!!

Of course they are! I can see the stop of consective use use of the franchise tag but 320mil in unpaid benefits from last year shouldn’t bve in the discussion. They should have actually tried to negotiate last year if they wanted that to be included.

hawkjuice says:Jul 17, 2011 1:44 AM

if this blows up now I’m never watching football again. Goodell, Smith and evey player can kiss my a$$ if they let this thing go now.

The $320 million in “lost” benefits were a negotiated part of the 2006 CBA. In return for no salary cap certain benefits weren’t paid in 2010. The players weren’t smart enough to realize that no salary cap = no salary floor and now they want to recover from that embarrassment.

The players trying to get these benefits now is a complete joke. “We want $320 million that was never part of the deal”. This stinks of Kessler.

Get this done already, I’m sick of hearing about CBA’s, lawyer and all this crap. Lets get to the fun stuff like Free Agency, Training Camps and a Full NFL Regular Season. X’s and O’s and stuff like that this is getting sickening by the minute.

This whole thing started with the players opting not to negotiate and instead opting to decertify the NFLPA to push this to the courts and now it’s going to end with the same group of jack-a$$es trying to bully their way around after the NFL has done almost everything in it’s power to make the players happy in the new deal. If this blows up, it’s because the players couldn’t act professionally yet again. Personally, I wouldn’t blame the owners if they said “go f••• yourselves…” at this point. Both parties should be operating in good faith, or it’s not a fair deal, and now the NFLPA isn’t.

Screw the players, bring on the SCABS! This is BS and they need to pay a heavy price!

boneyardbuc says:Jul 17, 2011 3:16 AM

Good. The owners brought this on. Let them sleep in the bed they made.

I know all you *Teabaggers *cough* Republicans will hate on me, but you don’t root for the billionaire baby’s club consisting of owners who inherited their money/teams or step all over the common man to acquire their wealth. You root for the coal miner’s kids, 2 brothers of 7 children who fought their way to the NFL, Thomas and Julius Jones. You root for the Derrick Brooks, the Charles Woodsons, the Warrick Dunns, the Larry Fitzgeralds, the Stephen Jacksons, the Tom Bradys, the John Lynchs, PAT TILLMAN, and the thousands of others throughout the NFL and College football that don’t paint the police blotter.

These guys limp away from the game with bodies that are forever damaged. I’ve had 6 knee surgeries from my own cup of coffee and I will always side with the players, the product, the game.

wow..and the players say they arent bein greedy..just sign the new cba with your bigger half and the start gettin paid..gezz..at this point i wouldnt even care if the owners told the players no..then opened the league with dudes from the ufl..i bet after about 2 to 3 weeks you bein seein all those players coming back…hurts when you see people doin your job and for alot cheaper as well

mvpanthersfan11 says:Jul 17, 2011 4:38 AM

Not surprising!!!

ishallcomment says:Jul 17, 2011 4:48 AM

F*** my life…

ishallcomment says:Jul 17, 2011 4:50 AM

D-Smith wants to get one more bucket of cold water in before this is all over…

bluepike says:Jul 17, 2011 4:50 AM

The parasites (lawyers) and the greedy crybabies (players) risk sabotaging the entire process once again! Pitiful. Just pitiful. Let’s hope that the smart and good owners outnumber the stupid and bad owners.

Nothing to see here. Just a last min bluff. Though i do believe that being good shouldn’t take away a players right to free agency..

I would say a one year limit of the franchise tag would be a good deal. That being that a Team could Franchise a player once but then couldn’t franchise the same player the next year. Thats fair and should be the deal anyway. Players being franchised year after year is unfair because they are losing for playing well instead of being rewarded. But i also believe the tag in it self is important to keeping some level of continuity on these teams.

All in all no big deal. This gets done and is announced on tuesday with free agency beginning at the least by a week from tuesday.

Just when we were starting to respect the players ability to make a fair deal they throw their toys out the pram and ask for more money to do less work. Bravo players, bravo.

0mattfrye0 says:Jul 17, 2011 5:28 AM

Is today April Fools ?

glynners says:Jul 17, 2011 5:30 AM

Grrrr

jeffperk says:Jul 17, 2011 5:41 AM

Isnt this why we got to this point, because the owners felt like they got a bad deal the last time? Smith needs to kick these lawyers out for good & get the players back in line. The owners have given enough, what have the players given? I am just sick of this, get the damn deal done & get back on the field!

krow101 says:Jul 17, 2011 5:46 AM

Can we please finally dispense with all the ‘love of the game’ and ‘concern for the fans’ propaganda?

Millionaires and billionaires fighting over the golden goose.

Remember this next time you plop down $10 at the stadium for a Coors Light. Chump.

NFL seems more like the GFL – Greedy F’s League. Both sides are ridiculous, nearly all of them are paid more than brain surgeons, there is a recession caused by the extreme greed of banks and corporations, the players and owners all say we do it for the fans this and the fans that, how about lowering the cost of tickets, the NFL Sunday Ticket, internet access to watching games so that everyone including the ones who have been screwed by banks, corporations and government and who have very little can enjoy the game to.

Just like a freaking employee (players). You give them an inch and they try to take a mile! The owners gave in and some major concessions and now the players want their cake and eat it too. If I am one of the owners I would would be like screw this. Let the lockout stand and lets see how long these players can go with no paycheck!!!

ohiodeerhunter says:Jul 17, 2011 7:09 AM

I wonder if you have to negotiate the lockout in this year’s Madden game? I’m so sick of this crap.

Ice water !! I have said for the last 2 weeks of eternal optimism that, this is not over until it is signed !They have to unravel and settle this anti trust lawsuit and also, have to get the retired players [Carl Ellers group and the Legacy Fund] to sign off on any proposed deal because, as I understand it, D Smith allowed them to enjoin the antitrust suit. Without their ok, the union cannot recertify. No CBA and lockout then continues. Judge Boylan is not going to like any of this and what he may interject into this mess may upset the apple cart even more. Pre season games are NOW at risk !

ravenator says:Jul 17, 2011 7:35 AM

Are you kidding me!!! NFLPA needs to sit down, shut up, and finish the deal already!!!

4ever19 says:Jul 17, 2011 7:44 AM

35 minutes for a table at Cracker Barrel? What, there was no Shoney’s nearby?

dempsey63 says:Jul 17, 2011 7:46 AM

In the James Bond movie, “A View to a Kill,” psychopath Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) holds a negotiating session with a group of businessmen in a blimp high above San Francisco Bay.

When one participant balks at Zorin’s demand for a $100-million-per-man-plus-50%-of-revenues buy-in fee, Max activates a trap door beneath the reluctant complainer–sending him to a certain death–and asks whether anybody else wants to “drop out.” (The remaining members quickly buy into Zorin’s scheme.)

Sounds like the lawyers for the NFLPA* decided to get greedy and worried that a deal means the end of billable hours. When will the players realize, the lockout benefits only their lawyers. It is not in their best interest to fight for the players best interest.

gbfanforever says:Jul 17, 2011 7:57 AM

Uhh, this is news from last Friday you’re trying to pawn off as an update. This isn’t exactly a deal breaker

Do you fans have any other interest in life except through watching the NFL. I enjoy watching the game too but I actually don’t care if they play again as they continue to divide up the money of the TV revenue and keep asking for more money from the fans. When will the fans get a union so they will be able to come to the bargaining table and demand fair treatment with ticket and concession costs? You guys are so willing to have football you are willing to sell your soul for the sole purpose of seeing a bunch of super rich athletes play football at the expense of other important issues in your life. The players are a bunch of spoiled individuals that care less about the fans or their own family as they parade themselves late at night in bars getting into trouble just being themselves.

The NFL owners counter by now demanding that the players lease their locker space, pay for water and soap for their after game shower and of course pay the same to park their car as the fans do. That should come out to, say, $320m.

On a related note, Plaxico Burress was seen lurking around the meeting wearing track pants.

Better get that deal done. Just saying..

bubbabart says:Jul 17, 2011 8:28 AM

Ive said all along (Also said about the announcer mentioning the QB with 243 straight passes without an INT….jinx) that the players were acting like prima donnas. I hope the owners scrap everything and now go to a scorched earth policy!

Without choosing sides, how did $320 million (for one year) go un-discussed until the last minute – like there was a $320 million dollar bill laying on the floor with with 20 people in the room and no one noticed? Are the collective IQs of these people 13?

Once again the media sucked all you people to think the deal was done! I BEEN SAYING SINCE MARCH..NO DEAL UNTIL SEPT 27!!!

forthelove says:Jul 17, 2011 9:00 AM

How many times in the past few months have we heard that a deal was close and the owners were making a power move, only to find out that a deal wasn’t even close and the full report was wrong.

If the players power move even did really happen, my bet is it’s a preemptive strike to an anticipated power move by the owners. In the end, pretty much every demand in the “every trustworthy” Mort’s report will be dropped.

the owners have saved exactly 320 millon dollars from 2010…So now the NFLPA lawyers got wind of it. so they’re trying get more money(Exactly 320 mil) REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the players wont it all,but their not greedy?LMFAO

Sooooo, the players are wrong for wanting their workout money that was promised to them in their still CURRENT CONTRACTS? This money was promised to them for working out, which the majority of them WOULD have done had the owners not opted out of the last deal and/or enforcing a lockout… And you folks are going crazy on the players because they are at least TRYING to recoup that money… Wow…

If your contract at work promised you $1000 for everyday you come to work early, and you show up early to see the doors are locked and don’t open until your regularly scheduled work time, wouldn’t you contest that?

Its not the players fault they were locked out, some of these players have absolutely nothing to do with this sh*t, they are only guilty by association…

Sounds more like an easy way fro the owners to save some money if you ask me… It wouldn’t be so bad if they hadn’t included this in their player CONTRACTS… these are the type of “incentives” that convince a player to sign with the team in the first place… the least the owners could do is honor their word…

The players are trying to get retribution for the owners opt-out. If the owners were doing the same they would be holding out for a deal that was as heavily swayed in their favor as the last deal was in the player’s favor. The $320mil is a sham, the owners should walk out and be done with these morons.

The players are pieces of crap. They had their own ‘lockout insurance’ so there was no irreparable harm done to the players by the lockout, and the players arguably haven’t taken any steps to maximize revenues for the league (which is why the judge ruled that the owners couldn’t have lockout insurance).

If the players are going to keep pulling stupid crap like this out, the owners should keep reneging on ‘settled’ aspects…

Fine, you want $320mil, you now get a max of 47%.

Fine, you don’t want to roll the settlement of the lockout insurance case into the CBA, you now have 6 years to free agency.

Fine, the plaintiffs want special treatment, we now get 2 franchise tags and 3 transition tags per team per season.

Fine, you want players to only get hit with the franchise tag once, players under contract and drafted rookies not yet under contract can now be fined $1M/day whenever they hold out.

If the players are going to be d|cks about everything, the owners should be bigger d|cks.

OR, the players could stop all their bullsh|t and put away this childish crap. So much for their “we just want to play football” crap.

ejmat2 says:Jul 17, 2011 9:39 AM

So now where are the pro-player groups? These guys are the greedy ones. The owners are greedy in their own way but at least they are trying. The players just want to take a mile when given an inch. It will never stop.

rugdog100 says:Jul 17, 2011 10:15 AM

So now the players take the owner’s place as villains, at the 11th hour. One thing is absolutely certain… neither side really gives a rip about the fans, so I wish they’d leave us out of their comments. We’re pawns – nothing more. We’re the people that finance their behavior and greed. Without us, both players and owners are nothing, but they know we’re sheep. The NFL should be a three-way partnership between the owners, players and fans… and we are silent partners with no voting stock and no respect.

No, the players just want what was PROMISED to them in SIGNED CONTRACTS… Not their fault the doors were locked… the owners could have at least allowed those players with those incentives the OPPORTUNITY to work out at the facility… Instead of keeping the doors locked… because most of these players would have BEEN there working out, upholding THEIR end of the contract…

I don’t blame the players. The owners have been bluffing all along. The players made an orginal offer of 50% of revenues made back in March. The owners walked out of discussions after the offer was made saying the offer ridiculous. Now they have accepted that offer taking 2% less in revenue. This whole thing could have been settled back in March if the owners had not been pig headed.

Right now the players have all the chips. They have lockout insurance that will pay every player a salary this year if the lockout continues. They have a lawsuit they won that will pay them part of the TV revenues and they will recover the money they are due that was not paid last year. Why should they give that up. The owners owe them the TV revenue owe them the money from last year. If the owners would honor their contracts and play in good faith we would not have any of these problems.

Screw the owners their greed caused this whole thing. The players made them essentially the same offer that is now the deal back in March. We would never had to go through this absent the owners greed and ego. The bottomline is the players have finally developed some balls, organization and leadership and they won’t just be bullied into a bad take or leave it deal like in 1987.

pmars64 says:Jul 17, 2011 10:41 AM

I’m pro-player and I’ve got no issue with this last minute ploy. It’s all part of the negotiations. The owners already pulled their bait-and-switch when they quietly reneged on issues that had already been negotiated a couple of weeks ago. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the owners have their own last minute ploy – and not out of retaliation but simply their own attempt to squeeze a better deal for themselves. Again, it’s all part of negotiations.

Business negotiations are not pretty and there’s ALWAYS snags and back-tracking and under-handed ploys before all signatures are put to paper.

So, relax, expect maybe a bit more, but the season will not be interrupted one iota.

glac1 says:Jul 17, 2011 10:46 AM

The owners must get tough, take their offer off the table and walk if this indeed is the case. It’s just another example of how all unions are corrupt, power and money hungry and could care less about the majority of their membership. Unions need to be reined in.

backindasaddle says:Jul 17, 2011 10:54 AM

So let me get this straight. The two sides essentially have worked out an agreement in principle and are ready to formalize it. Then the players representatives say hmmm…..let’s see if we can more! Is that not the very definition of GREED??? Take note everybody that it’s the PLAYERS making the last minute greed grab.

This one reminds me of the many Israeli/Arab peace talks when Yasser Arafat was in charge. The two sides would work through all kinds of stuff and on the very threshold of an agreement Arafat would always make a grab for something else and cause the entire thing to go right down the toilet.

In the case of Arafat, I believe he never really wanted an agreement at all. In the case of the players right now…..it’s just plain greed.

just stop all this crap. let us know when its done. we all know that greed is the one thing that could derail this thing then throw in a natual disaster, and suddenly baseball is the national pastime again

IF this is true, I hope the owners tell Demoron Smith and his puppet players to get lost. If they can’t negotiate in good faith they don’t deserve their money and the fan’s support. I can survive without professional football for a year, but I would bet these overpaid cry babies cannot. IF the NFLPA is pulling this crap at the last minute, I say bring on the replacement players and sell tickets at half price. Tactics such as this show a total disregard for the fans.

vmannj says:Jul 17, 2011 11:07 AM

Lawyers still get paid by the hour. They want this to drag out as long as they can. As soon as the ink dries on this deal – and not one second sooner – they stop getting paid. That’s why I had such a problem with the players selecting a lawyer to represent them in the first place.

Its funny how some of you still blame this on Smith and the named plaintiffs…

DO YOU NOT THINK THAT MAYBE THE PLAYERS WHO GOT SHAFTED OUT OF THEIR WORKOUT BONUSES ASKED THEM TO BRING UP THE ISSUE???

And being that that is what they were HIRED and/or ELECTED to do…. THEIR JOB… and bring up the issues players want addressed….

you have to realize, some of these players could give a rat’s azz about this lockout, some of them TRULY want to get back to playing football, no matter WHAT kind of deal they agree to… THE MAJORITY OF NFL PLAYERS FEEL THIS WAY… Why??? Because the MAJORITY OF NFL PLAYERS don’t make the outrageous amounts of money that the big name plaintiffs make… For the Majority of them, these workout bonuses are the MEAT and POTATOES of their contracts, its like that overtime you put in at work to do something extra for your family or for yourself…

A lot of you folks porblems are, you can’t categorize EVERY SINGLE NFL PLAYER by the decisions of a FEW NFL PLAYERS… They can only sit back and watch it play out… OR… they can ALL file their own SEPARATE lawsuits and drag this process to hell…. but they don’t… they just sit back and let it play out…

IT COULD BE A LOT WORSE… EVEN AT THIS POINT ANY ONE OF THESE PLAYERS (OR ALL) CAN FILE THEIR OWN SEPARATE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NFL AND END THE GAME AS WE KNOW IT IN ONE DAY…

snnyjcbs says:
The owners really got what they wanted, THE MONEY, huge cut from the 52 to 54% they were receiving to 46% maxing out at 48%.

The the owners aren’t getting a billion dollars off the top. They’ll be getting a slightly higher percentage in the short term, but far lower than many figured it would be.

It was great without the year round NFL, became involved in other sports such as NASCAR, Golfing and boating. Canceled all our Season Tickets and NFL Sunday Ticket and will not be renewing either.

Wait a minute…you went golfing and boating instead of following off-season football stuff on the internet? That’s hilarious.

None of us will be re-upping our NFL Sunday Ticket as it’s now part of Direct TV’s basic package, and someone else will buy the season tickets you left behind.

TurdSandwich says:Jul 17, 2011 1:13 PM

Make this last bit contingent on no players getting arrested in the next 24 hours. Woops…

boisebob says:Jul 17, 2011 1:15 PM

35 minutes for a table at the Cracker Barrel? Was it the only restaurant for 100 miles? I wouldn’t walk across the street for a free meal at a Cracker Barrel.

packerzman says:Jul 17, 2011 2:03 PM

to HELL with the NFL…ill just go watch every NBA GAME i can…ill show THEM!!
wait..whats that..they’re not going to play till 2013??
uhmmm never mind

bjb2865 says:Jul 17, 2011 2:48 PM

Like I said before…you’re just posting stuff just becasue you can. you one of those who would like to see this dragged out. Pessimism gets you nowhere. if you dont have anything good to say..dont say anything.

I think the cliche you’re struggling for is “Golden Goose,” or more accurately, “the goose that lays the golden eggs.” The Golden Calf was an idol fashioned by Aaron for the Israelites to worship while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai.

Or perhaps I misunderestimate you? Has not NFL football become an idol for many of us? If they kill the golden calf, as it were, is it not our idol that is destroyed? Perhaps we would be better off without this idol?

Well done, siggy00. Well done.

clintonrb says:Jul 17, 2011 4:16 PM

so the players are doing to the owners what they had been done to them earlier?

its was despicable when the owners did it but its ok now?

this proves the players never really gave a damn about the fans either…

And here we go with more predictable comments about how spoiled the players are and how exacerbated everyone is with the players’/union’s stance during this labor dispute. STUDY YOUR HISTORY…Who opted out 2 years early? Who demanded major givebacks from the other side? Who negotiated TV contracts to move $$ from prior years to 2011-2012 for “lockout insurance”? Who actually locked out the other side? Who belittled the other side during talks? Learn your history, or I guess you pro-owner shills are much like the far-right in the country and believe only what you want to believe and what suits your agenda…to hell with the pesky facts and reality….

@-varaider- these players were informed of the lockout and lockout means well- lockout! and that means NO FOOTBALL no football means? you guessed it no bonuses. because? there is no football. to use your earlier post as an example,if you were promised 1000 dollars per day that you showed up to work early and came to work one day and found the doors locked well guess what? that means no work and when you dont work you dont get paid are you suggesting these players get paid for not working? i would hope not and if you are you really need to give some serious thought to what if it was you that had to come out of pocket to pay someone for NOT working?

axespray says:Jul 19, 2011 6:44 AM

sarah palin wouldn’t stand for this… durka durka

raven4life21 says:Jul 21, 2011 8:52 AM

Just swallow your pride players! you will make much more money if you sign the deal now and rack in the higher percentage of income from the much more profiting NFL in the next few years! look at the LONG TERM! and if you don’t it will effect WAY MORE than your own greedy lives! the fate of the Country depends on it! while my attitude wants me to boycott the NFL altogether… I can’t live without football… it’s ALL i do… GET IT DONE!

cornersss says:Jul 23, 2011 7:17 PM

Anybody else think its funny that the players whine about injuries for not having an 18 game season. They also cry about the nfl making this a flag football league with how they handeled head shots.

Then they add they want less 2 a days in the summer and only 1 days a week of contact pad practice. How is any of this new stuff going to help with injuries?

The players are full of it. This was never about injuries, but money.

cornersss says:Jul 23, 2011 7:31 PM

Please, enough with the politics. The last thing we need is someone bringing in the Israli palastinenian conflict into a nfl lockout discussion. It wont help the talk and if anything causes more conflict.